Bittersweet Goodbye
by Phyren Ice
Summary: Approaching footfalls clicked against the wooden boards that made up the pier before a presence hovered over her. She didn't need to look up to know it was none other than the dark-haired beauty who haunted her every thought. Swan Queen *major character death*


**AN: This is based off of a dream I had and while it involves the infamous swanqueen bench, I must warn you that this is not a happy story. This also hints at the whole 'Henry will be Rumple's undoing' thing. I apologize ahead of time for the feels this might throw at you.  
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**Disclaimer: Don't own them :(**

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The waves crashed rhythmically against the pillars below as the aroma of the ocean wafted up with each passing breeze. Emma sat upon the damp wooden bench as she looked out to where the ocean met the sky, wondering why she was there in the first place.

Approaching footfalls clicked against the wooden boards that made up the pier before a presence hovered over her. She didn't need to look up to know it was none other than the dark-haired beauty who haunted her every thought.

"Why are we here, Regina?" Emma questioned as she continued to stare out ahead of her.

The former mayor seated herself next to the sheriff and sighed. "Do you remember the first time we met here?"

The savior grinned despite her melancholy mood and she glanced at the woman beside her.

"It was after your mother died and we were trying to come to some sort of agreement to stop all the feuding that was harming our son. Little did I know at the time that it was just the beginning of something beautiful between us."

"Seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?" Regina mused.

"It was only three years ago," Emma pointed out. "But yes, it does seem like a lifetime ago."

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments before Emma turned to face the older woman.

"You're leaving me, aren't you?" the sheriff questioned.

"We knew this day would come, Emma," Regina reminded her. "It was only a matter of time."

"But why now? Why so soon?" the blonde demanded with a frown. "What about our son?"

"He's better off without me."

"You know that's a lie! How can you do this to us?" Emma snapped as she blinked back tears. "After everything we've been through you can just give up and leave…just like that?"

Regina reached a gloved hand up to Emma's face and cupped her cheek. "If only it were that simple."

"Please don't leave me," the savior suddenly pleaded as she leaned into the brunette's warm hand. "Stay here with me and Henry."

Regina's lower lip trembled as a single tear slid down her face. "You have to let me go."

"Please," she whimpered softly. "I love you."

"And I will always love you," the brunette responded before she leaned towards the sheriff and placed a chaste kiss to her lips. "Tell Henry that I love him with all my heart. Make him understand that this was the way it had to be and that hate is not the answer."

Emma sucked in a quivering breath. "I don't know if I can do this…"

"You have no choice…our son needs you," the former mayor encouraged. "It's time for me to go."

Regina stood up carefully while she held her gaze upon the distraught sheriff as tears streamed from her eyes. She managed to offer one last smile before she turned to leave the younger woman behind.

"No!" Emma shouted as she sprang to her feet and grabbed the brunette roughly by her arms, spinning her back around.

The savior took the surprised woman's face between her palms before she captured her lips with her own. A gasp escaped Regina's throat as she threw her arms around the sheriff's neck, pulling the younger woman's body flush against her own as she deepened the kiss. Desperation was felt as their tears mingled together, both women reluctant to break apart, but knowing that they had to.

The former mayor hesitantly drew back before she rested her forehead against Emma's collarbone.

"You and Henry were the best thing that ever happened to me," Regina confessed.

Their eyes locked for a brief moment before the brunette dredged up as much strength as she could muster and withdrew herself from the savior's arms. Emma stared after the retreating woman's form as she briskly walked away, never glancing back as she continued down the boardwalk until she disappeared from the sheriff's view. Emma's unsteady legs finally gave out and she slammed to the wooden ground beneath her as a feral scream tore from her throat. Her vision blurred from the onslaught of tears until she realized the scenery around her was being cloaked by a thick gray mist. Rolling onto her back, she blinked her eyes a few times until the mist dissipated and her senses cleared.

"What the hell?" she mumbled as she realized her environment had drastically changed.

"Emma? Emma!" Snow barked as her worried face suddenly appeared above her daughter. "Thank God you're awake!"

"What happened?" the sheriff mumbled as she rubbed her throbbing head.

"You don't remember?" David questioned in concern before he helped her to sit up.

She was about to say no when the harsh reality of the situation slammed into her mind and she quickly scrambled to get to her feet.

"Where is she?! Where's Regina?" the sheriff demanded as her eyes darted around the street they were currently occupying.

"Emma…" David started but he paused as he watched his daughter's gaze lock onto the still form that rested a few feet away. "She's gone. We tried but...she didn't make it."

"No, no,no,no,no,no,no!" the savior chanted as she ran to Regina's side and hefted her into her arms. "Regina, please…I need you." Sobs wracked her frame as she cradled Regina's limp body against her chest. "What am I going to do without you?" Emma whimpered between tears while her parent's watched on with saddened eyes.

No true love's kiss would bring her back. Regina Mills, the notorious Evil Queen and former Mayor of Storybrooke, was truly gone; a price she had to pay in order to defeat Rumplestiltskin and save her son's life.

* * *

Pulling her designer trench coat tighter around her frame, Emma made her way to the unoccupied bench that she had last seen her lover at, the place Regina was able to give the sheriff one final message before she would discover that she would never see the beautiful brunette again; that her inevitable death for dark misdeeds had finally caught up to her.

For a town full of hypocrites and angered people, the savior was surprised by the turn out for the former mayor's funeral earlier that day. Hundreds had come to pay their respects and give their heartfelt condolences to Emma and Henry before they left the grieving family at the Mills mausoleum. Mary Margaret and David had wordlessly taken the suddenly mute Henry while Emma was left alone with her lover's glass coffin.

The empty spot beside Regina's resting place gave Emma a brief thrill of hope that one day they would lay next to each other, forever together in the afterlife...or so she wanted to believe. The brunette had expressed her wishes to the sheriff two years ago that she was family and belonged in the mausoleum with her and Henry, if he so chose it when his time came. The proof that Regina made sure a spot was readied for Emma made her see that the former mayor knew she wasn't going to survive the battle that they had been preparing for in the last few months. If only Emma had realized their days were numbered she would've embraced the former mayor a few more times, caressed her face at least once a day, and made love to her every night while reminding her over and over again that she was loved.

Emma sat down on the bench while she wiped the tears from her eyes, a habit that was proving to be a nuisance for the unforeseeable future.

"I miss you so much," she choked out as her jaw quivered uncontrollably. "Henry hasn't spoken since we told him you were gone. He just walks around in a daze, spending most of his time looking at that picture I always liked of the two of you."

Her breath shuddered as she tried to quell her emotions in order to say what she had to say, hoping that somehow Regina was listening.

"Half of the town came to your funeral today and everyone kept commenting on how beautiful you were and that you appeared to just be sleeping. Idiots didn't even realize I used a preservation spell on you," The sheriff confessed. "A queen always has to look her best, right?" She snorted at her own sarcasm before she wiped her sleeve across her damp face. "Well I made sure you'll always look your best, even hundreds of years from now when all the rest of them are just dirt and bones."

She sniffled as she listened to the pounding waves below.

"Gold was buried yesterday even though the bastard didn't deserve it. If I had it my way, his body would've been tossed in the ocean for the sharks to feed upon him," Emma sneered with disdain. "He tried to kill our son and he took you away from us. You told me to remind Henry that hate isn't the answer and I told him that but it's so hard Regina when all I want to do is let our son unleash his anger upon the entire town of imbeciles. The nerve of them to take Gold's side up until the very end, it just makes me so…" Emma paused before she took a deep breath and released it. "I'm trying Regina, I really am."

She took a moment to look down at the emerald-stoned ring adorning her left ring finger and sighed. "You know, I would've asked you to marry me one of these days."

She twisted the golden band around her finger as a smile ghosted her lips. "I'm hope you're not upset that I kept this. I just wanted a reminder, something to make me feel close to you…that I belong to you somehow."

The ring started to glow a soft purple and the sheriff sucked in a sharp breath.

"Regina? Is that you doing this?!" Emma questioned as she looked around but she didn't see anyone else. "If it's really you, please know that I love you so much and I promise you, we'll be together again someday. Until then I'll make a commitment to visit you here at our bench as often as possible."

Little did she realize that Regina was in fact sitting beside her with her translucent hand resting on top of hers, causing the ring to glow. With a sad smile, the brunette withdrew her hand and watched as the ring returned to it's normal hue. It was the last bit of magic she had managed to carry over with her, enough to let Emma know that she wasn't alone.

"I'll be here waiting for you," Regina murmured even though Emma couldn't hear her. "Until then, I'll be with you where I always belonged…in your heart."

Regina watched as Emma stood up and took her leave before she allowed her spirit to disperse into the wind and vanish.

* * *

The sheriff's eyes snapped open as the sound of crashing waves assaulted her ears. Her hands instinctively touched the solid wooden bench beneath her and she beamed a wide grin when the familiar staccato rhythm of heeled boots approached her.

"Regina!" Emma breathed out as she got to her feet and turned to face the approaching woman. "Is that really you?"

"It's really me," she responded as she slid her arms around the sheriff's neck before she kissed her.

It was desperate and sloppy with want and need before they slowed it down to soft pecks, eventually breaking apart so they could embrace each other tightly.

"I can't believe you're really here with me," Emma whispered into Regina's ear. "I thought I'd never see you again."

The brunette leaned back before she swiped at the tears on Emma's face. "You never have to worry about that again, Sweetheart. We're together now…forever."

Regina reached down and interlaced her fingers with the savior's before she guided her to their bench and sat them down. Emma wrapped her arm around the smaller woman like she used to do all those times before and Regina snuggled into her side as they gazed out upon the colorful sky as the sun started to rise behind the ocean.

"I'm sorry…she's gone," Dr. Whale announced to the distraught family as the nurses turned off the machines and pulled off the wires and oxygen mask from Emma's lifeless form.

Henry collapsed against his grandparents as the three of them mourned together. He always knew his blonde mother would never live to be old and gray, as her heart never fully healed over the loss of his other mom, but he never expected to lose her so soon either. It had only been five years since they lost Regina, but it was five years too long as far as Emma was concerned. Thoughts of suicide were tempting but she survived for her son...until today, when a freak car accident unexpectedly took her life.

The nineteen year old boy made his way to Emma's side and as she had done so long ago, he leaned down and whispered, "I love you Ma," before he placed a chaste kiss to her forehead. No magic would save her as it did for him but he knew that reuniting with his brunette mother was her happy ending.

_the end_


End file.
